The present invention relates to ice handling apparatus, and in particular to an ice dispensing mechanism for an ice hopper.
It is desirable in the food and beverage service industries to provide means for expeditiously dispensing a quantity of ice, for example into a glass, to facilitate service of ice water and cold beverages to customers. Conventionally, the means comprises an ice dispenser, which for commercial applications usually includes a hopper for storing a quantity of crushed, cracked, flaked or cubed ice, an icemaker for manufacturing ice for the hopper, a thermostat in the hopper in proximity to the point of entry of ice for sensing the level of ice, and an agitator for the mass of ice to prevent congealing or agglomeration in order to maintain the ice particles in discrete, free flowing form. An opening at the bottom of the hopper enables ice to be removed from the hopper, usually by a dispensing mechanism which is operable to selectively open or close the hopper opening.
Dispensing mechanisms for hoppers may be of any desired type, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,165,901 and 3,217,509, which automatically dispense a measured quantity of ice. In some cases, however, it is desirable to selectively control the quantity of ice dispensed, and perhaps to dispense varying quantities, each and every time that ice is dispensed. For the purpose, door or gate type dispensers have been developed, and usually comprise a door or gate movable to uncover a dispensing opening in an ice hopper for as long as it is desired to dispense ice.
One form of door or gate type ice dispensing mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,338. As disclosed therein, one end of a lever connects with a door and the other end has an arcuate rack. The lever pivots intermediate its ends, and an electric clutch pivots the lever through a pinion meshed with the rack. In use of the dispenser, operation of the motor pivots the lever to urge the door open with a force determined by the slip force of the motor clutch, and a spring thereafter returns the door to its closed position. An obvious disadvantage of such a mechanism resides in the electric motor clutch, which adds complexity and expense to the unit.
Another type of ice dispenser mechanism of the gate type uses a solenoid to move the gate. This dispenser is somewhat similar to that in U.S. Pat. No. 3,211,338, except that a solenoid plunger connects directly with the lever to pivot the same and open the door. Although this arrangement is less complex than use of a clutch motor, a disadvantage resides in the fact that the solenoid exerts minimum forces on its plunger when the same is fully extended and the door closes the hopper opening. Consequently, should significant binding of the door occur due to pressure of ice thereagainst, the solenoid is often unable to develop sufficient forces to open the door.